


Lesson from Leo, A

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Angst, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-01-15
Updated: 2004-01-15
Packaged: 2019-05-15 19:12:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14796323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of theWest Wing Fanfiction Central, a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in theannouncement post.





	Lesson from Leo, A

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**A Lesson from Leo**

**by:** Dee 

**Category/Pairing:** Josh/Donna  
**Rating: MATURE**  
 **Disclaimer(s):** Not mine. Not really his anymore either.  
**Spoiler:** Spoilers all the way through current.  


**Notes:** Follows: "Clues for CJ"

"So have you talked to John?" I asked. I was sitting in Leo's office after hours, which for us was pretty much anytime after midnight. He'd mentioned something about our new vice-president and it got me thinking about our old one. 

"Yeah." 

"He's doing... okay?" I didn't know how it was possible, but I guess I wanted him to be okay because it would make me feel less guilty. Which didn't really make sense, but did make me seem like a self-involved insensitive jerk. I suppose I was. 

"He's in the process of a messy divorce, his political career as he knows it is over, and he's coming to grips with the fact that he will never succeed in reaching his life long ambition of becoming president. But other than that... yeah, I would say he's doing okay." 

"That's what I thought. I should call him." My gut tightened at the idea. "Or maybe not. Maybe he wouldn't want to hear from me. You know? If it was me I would just want to move on." 

"Yep," Leo said and glanced down at the mound of work that never seemed to escape his desk. I got up to leave, figuring our chat time was over when Leo stopped me with a question sort of out of the blue. This immediately made me suspicious because Leo didn't do anything out of the blue. 

"How are things working out with the new intern?" 

I turned around and tried to figure out if he was being sarcastic. "You know who he is right?" 

He gave me that look. The one that says do-I-look-that-dumb-of-course-I-knew-what-I-was-doing. "He's Tom Bennett's son." 

"And the reason we want the majority leader's kid working for me is because..." 

"Because Tom called us and asked us for this favor and we are good and generous people." 

"No, really," I said. 

"Because it doesn't hurt to have the majority leader owe us one." 

That made much more sense. I nodded and was almost at the door when that niggling fear, the one I couldn't quite shake, the one that told me Ryan's arrival wasn't completely innocent had me turning around again. 

"And the reason you gave him to me, specifically?" I asked. 

"I'm not sure what you mean." 

I didn't want to say it out loud. I certainly didn't want to give him any ideas if he didn't already have them. In fact I was being ridiculous. Leo sent Ryan to me because my workload is significant. Donna can't handle all of my bullshit stuff anymore and I needed some extra help. It was that simple. 

"Never mind." I had my hand on the door when Leo added. 

"Is there a problem?" 

Not really a problem. "It's just that I've got some stuff going on now... personal... I was just thinking that now might not be the best time for me to have the enemy in my camp." 

"He's not an enemy, he's an intern. And what's personal?" 

Oh man, now we were headed into some dangerous territory. "I don't want to talk about it." 

"You brought it up," Leo argued. 

"It's... it's...you know..." 

Leo sighed. "Women." 

I wasn't alarmed that he got that. I really didn't have too many other difficulties in life besides women. "It's no big thing." I shouldn't have brought it up. I could see his brain churning and it made me nervous. 

"Something going on with you and Amy again." 

"No. That's over but we're fine. She's a pain. It's like having Mandy back all over again." 

"Yeah, it's a shame that the First Lady doesn't really care about your love life and hired her anyway." 

"I know. But whatever. Ryan's is okay. I just thought. I didn't know ... Never mind." This time I was determined to leave before I slipped and said anything else. 

I had my hand on the door and was almost clear when Leo added, "You're not suggesting that I sent Ryan to you to act as some kind of deterrent against acting on any feelings that you may or may not have for your assistant." 

I took my hand off the door, turned and fell back against it letting out a whoosh of air. There were a million ways to play this. Outrage. Incredulity. Confusion. I squinted as I started to work the confusion angle, but Leo quickly blew me off. 

"Oh please. Don't even try it." 

"Leo there is nothing going on..." Which to date was the truth. One kiss, one admission of further consideration, a few private lunches. That was it. In some ways it was frustrating as hell, in others I felt I was finally moving at a pace I was comfortable with. 

"I know that. But I also know that that's not always going to be the case." 

"When? How..." 

"Christmas." 

Oh right. The thing with Jack. "This is because I got a little nutty when she left. But that was only because I never really liked that guy and it turns out with good reason." 

"Not this past Christmas, Josh." 

"Oh." The other one. I didn't need any further clarification. I knew what he was talking about. That was when I took the real nutty. "Between her then. You now. I'm not completely blind." 

"Of course not." 

Leo would probably be stunned to know it, but I was actually pleased by this. This meant it wasn't my behavior that had clued him in originally, but Donna's. She was so weak when it came to hiding her feelings for me. With everyone except me that is. 

"Do we need to talk about it?" he asked in a way that suggested he wasn't all that thrilled by the idea. 

"There's nothing to talk about," I insisted. 

"Okay." 

Except this. "But if there were..." 

"Josh." 

"I'm just saying that if there was something... on a scale of one to ten how unhappy would you be with that?" 

Leo tossed off his glasses, never a good sign, and leaned back in his chair. "So my subtle clue of assigning Ryan Bennett, the opposition party leader's son, to you, didn't clue you in?" 

"I guess that's a ten." But I didn't understand why. "This isn't like Hoynes. I'm not cheating on anyone," I said somewhat defensively. 

"I know that. Would it surprise you to know that my reasoning behind this isn't entirely political?" 

Yes, it would. Leo was a political animal. "If it's not political, then..." 

"Don't get me wrong. We don't get any points for this, Josh. In fact we take a hit. Not a huge one, but a hit. Bottom line you having an affair with your assistant is seedy. And after the mess we just escaped with Hoynes, it would make us seem like a group of typical politicians who can't keep their pants on." 

I hated that. I hated that he used that word...seedy. Donna deserved better than seedy. 

"Look, I know it wouldn't be like that. Everyone here knows... hell, even the press might accept it. Because it's the two of you. But have you considered what it means?" 

Yeah. Sex with Donna. That thought was playing a pretty big role in my life right now. 

"You can't mess around with this Josh. This wouldn't be like another Mandy or Amy. Trust me when I tell you that if things went sour with Donna you wouldn't be able to work with her after." 

"How do you figure that?" I had a pretty good track record for putting relationships behind me. 

He was looking at me like I was an idiot. "You just don't get it, do you? You need her." 

I know. I was thinking along those same lines myself. 

"You mess around with her, you pull your standard retreat routine, and she'll leave. And then what will you do?" 

"Get a new assistant?" I quipped and was grateful Donna wasn't around to hear that. And what did he mean by my standard routine? There was nothing standard about it. I broke up with Mandy. I broke up with Amy. Different reasons in both cases. Wait, no, actually it was the same reason in both cases. Too many professional political operatives in the kitchen. 

I thought about breaking up with Donna and got queasy. But that was just because I was currently thinking about getting together with her. Truthfully, that also made me queasy. 

Now Leo was looking disgusted. "You think that's all she does for you? You think Donna is to you like Margaret is to me?" 

An image of Leo and Margaret in a clench flashed in my head and it didn't help the queasy situation at all. "No." 

Leo shook his head. "You don't get it." 

"So tell me." I was better when people just told me. 

"No, I don't think I will. Some things you just have to learn. If you're asking for advice, I'm telling you I think it's a bad idea. Especially until you understand some things. If you're asking me for permission, I'm not your mother." 

"I'm more or less asking if it would mean one of us getting fired." 

He glared at me as if to suggest I was being stupid again. 

"Okay." 

I left and smiled when I closed the door behind me. No, I didn't necessarily get what he was worried about, but I did understand that whether he knew it or not I did have his permission. 

What I was going to do with that, I wasn't exactly sure. He made me nervous. If things didn't work out between us, Donna wouldn't leave. 

Where was she going to go? 

Right? Right? No, she woudln't leave. Not even after we broke up. 

**See the Sequel:** "Why If When" 


End file.
